Techlearning blog

We were all taking notes on our computers and chatting during the presentations. We started adding more and more people to the chat, until we realized that the conversation in the chat was more powerful than the individual notes we were taking. We then posted our chat notes on our blogs to share with others in the session and those at the conference and at home. You can view an example of the notes here.

As we continued to talk and discuss the power in these chats, we came to realize how the network and the conversation had become the instruments of our learning. We expanded these Skype Chats by adding others outside the sessions. People as far away as Australia and Canada were present in sessions via our Skype Chats. They were engaged in the conversations, asking questions and following along as those present added thoughts, notes, and quotes from the presenters.

As we continued to find power in these chats, David Jakes coined the phrase “chatcasting”:

Basically, a group of people attending a session chat (we used Skype) during the session about the topics being presented, and in effect, create a small learning network within the presentation room itself. People can agree or disagree on what is being said, send links to each other, and generally learn from each other. The process turns a passive “set and get” experience into a dynamic, active experience, potentially more powerful than just sitting isolated, and silent. Instead of learning from one, I can learn from all involved. Overall, it's invigorating.

Today while trying to get work done, I found myself chatcasting in two different sessions at the November Learning's Building Learning Communities Conference (Tag: BLC07). Below is a screen shot I took of my computer.

Others have started to find power in these chatcasts as well. Soon after Darren Kuropatwa finished his session today, he sent out a Twit asking if anyone was chatting during the presentation that he was giving. I quickly copied the Skype Chat window and forwarded it to him (using Skype’s ‘Send File’ feature). As a presenter, think of the feedback you could have from your participants. What quotes had the WOW factor, what were people thinking about, writing about, and conversing about?

Take that same idea and apply it to a staff meeting, a Professional Development session, or even your classroom. What would it be like to allow students to take notes in an Instant Message format during a lesson? What feedback would that give you as a teacher? How does this change note-taking in the networked classroom? The first question that I am sure teachers are going to ask me is “How will you monitor it?” Great question. I plan on using my classroom projector and creating the chat session myself and then displaying the chat window on the board as we read and converse over a subject. As a teacher, I could glance at the board once in a while to see the chat, and get instant feedback. At the end of the session, each student could save the chat and have notes that include the thinking of the whole class. Does this solve every problem? No, but then again I never could find a way to make sure a student was taking notes on paper rather than doodling in the corner.

Summer is a great time to think outside the box, play with programs, and create new ways to use these tools in the classroom to engage students in the learning process. Get geeky and see what you come up with!